


The Arcade Discovery

by Letterhead



Category: Deus Ex (Video Games), Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Genre: Adam Jensen deserves a friend, Bittersweet, F/M, Friendship/Love, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 05:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8315644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Letterhead/pseuds/Letterhead
Summary: Adam Jensen is not his own man. Between the politics, the secrecy, and his augments, Adam has not done anything for himself. In a bout of silliness he goes to the arcade to forget about it all.  A pretty silly one-shot somewhere in the first third of the games timeline.not beta-read.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Deus Ex, I don't own Adam Jensen, and honestly I barely own anything at all.

It had been a stupid, inane idea. He still had the crumpled flyer clutched in his synthetic hand that detailed the opening of a 'retro' arcade in the Detroit Mall. The idea of wasting time playing some old video games certainly appealed to Adam, his time was barely his own as it was. It felt too much like a petty act of teenaged rebellion, but he made his way there anyhow. He could have been running around town like Sarifs little attack dog or he could spend some time doing something wasteful, unimportant, and hopefully fun. Something for him. It ended up being a pretty bad idea, he decided as he sat down in front of a Bust a Move machine, popping two coins in. This didn't fuel any rebellion, or nostalgia. It felt... boring as hell. His reflexes were just too good now. His enhanced digits were so dexterous that it took every ounce of challenge and fun out of playing games.  
'This was a mistake.' Adam thought, abandoning his game to leave the arcade.

He was just about to give up and go on his way when he was bumped by a red faced teen storming past him. The kid didn't even apologize, too wrapped up in what looked like embarrassment. Adam looked back to where the kid had come from and saw a girl, hunched over a Tekken 5 machine with a triumphant smile on her face. She however was without a second player, and would loose her streak if no one was willing to join her. She looked around the empty arcade and finally caught Adams eyes and smiled, nodding her head towards the empty space next to her with a superior glint in her eye. She was challenging him. Now this looked fun. He had never been really into fighting games but with his enhanced abilities he was sure to wipe the floor with her. He stalked carefully towards the machine and slid his tokens in, only a second to go before ending her free streak. She smirked at him but said nothing, quickly choosing her character. Adam looked over the selection carefully, avoiding the colorful looking bears and beasts and choosing the most generic of the bunch. The game was afoot now, and though he wasn't well versed with the game he was still confident. The countdown started and he chuckled to himself at seeing her character, a little Japanese girl in a school uniform. How adorable. The bell sounded and the clash began with a bang. Her totally human fingers worked the buttons like a master, tapping out combos quickly and soundlessly. Adam was faring well, but his lack of knowledge led to a lot of missed opportunities. He could mash buttons quicker than anyone could with his augments but a well timed special move from his opponent made certain it didn't turn the tide of the game. Round one ended with the girl the victor. She smiled up at Adam with that same hauty look and he snorted. "Don't get cocky." before he could stop himself.  
Her smile changed to one of amusement but she still said nothing. Round two was just as mad, and he managed to beat her at the last second with an accidental special attack. Her cocky exterior cracked for a second, her eyes darting for the first time to his hands. She exhaled sharply as she noticed his augments for the first time, but she didn't let it get her down. She was a Tekken master, she could beat anyone, even a super fast aug.  
Round three lasted almost as long as the timer would allow, the girl deftly avoiding every move spam Adam attempted and getting in some really good hits. It was close, but his opponent prevailed yet again. She smiled widely as the K.O. was displayed on screen and turned to Adam, extending her hand in a friendly manner. He took it warily, this being the first time anyone had shook his augmented hand. She didn't flinch, or startle like he imagined she would when their hands touched. Her hand felt small and soft in his, and his head began to fuzz with sensations as his first real human contact in months.

"Excellent game, I'm Jill by the way." Her hand slipped from his and went up to put her blonde hair behind her ear. He cleared his throat gently, shaking his weird feeling away and replied.

"Adam, Adam Jensen." He shifted on his feet a bit, feeling awkward in the girls presence.

"Well I haven't had a game like that in forever, AJ, so how about I treat you to your next one. Sound good?" Her hands were shoved deep in her jacket pockets, her hazel eyes hopeful and wide. He couldn't stop himself from briefly checking her out, short and curvy, style a little on the punky side but nothing so over the top that he could picture her hanging with street gangs.  
She tilted her head, as if to say she was getting impatient, so he took a look around the arcade. There was a vast assortment of machines ranging in ages, but most were from before the 2010's. He spotted a House of the Dead machine and couldn't help the smile that slipped into his face. A shooter, he thought, now this I can win. He pointed a finger in the direction of the machine and she skipped ahead of him to pay the steep 4 coin per player cost.

"That's the last of my coins so you better not die, AJ." Jill laughed, tossing her hair back as she unholstered the plastic pistol. Adam followed suit, holding the familiar object in his hand a little awkwardly at first. It felt strange to hold a weapon with no weight, almost like nothing was in his hands. He had to be gentle with it lest he break the machine, it was an antique after all.

"Don't worry about me, kid." He took aim as the first round was about to begin. Jill gave him a sour look, mirroring his stance.

"I'm not a kid." She pouted.

Very few words were said as they played round after round, getting farther in the game than Adam had ever in the past.  
"I think..." Jill panted, wiping a bead of sweat from her temple. "I think this is the final boss!"

"Looks that way." Adam was focused, his shots always dead accurate. He had no idea being a super soldier could be this fun. He felt weightless. He practically destroyed the final boss, Jill valiantly helping as much as possible until it was finally over.  
They won.

"I can't believe we did it!" She cheered, turning around and hugging Adam but quickly letting go.

"Sorry." She had the decency to look embarrassed. Adam let out a bark of laughter at her antics.

"Don't be, that was the most fun I've had in a while." He smiled down at his new friend. Jill smiled back, then looked around the now empty arcade as an awkward silence settled over them.

"Well that was fun..." Adam started lamely.

"Yeah, you said that..." Jill laughed.

"Right... Want some ice cream?" Adams transition to asking her was painful but worth it once she agreed. They walked side by side out of the dark arcade and towards the mall cafeteria.

 

"So... Why don't I order and you find a seat?" Adam suggested, slyly trying to pay since his arcade suggestion had eaten all her coins. Jill bobbed her head in agreement and skipped off to find them a table.

 

Ice creams in hand, Adam searched all over the cafeteria for his blonde friend but couldn't find her. He could feel a drip of ice cream melting down his cybernetic hand when he finally caught a waving hand in his peripheral. A breath he didn't know he was holding escaped his lips as he moved toward the back of the cafeteria, he really thought she had left.  
Jill had picked a table so far removed from the rest of the cafeteria it was no wonder he couldn't find her.

"I didn't know what you wanted so I got one vanilla and one chocolate. You can have either." Adam said as he sat down next to Jill.

"Well I like both so maybe we can share."  
She smirked and sat back in her seat taking the vanilla with her.  
"Yeah... Sure." Adams eyes followed the movement of her tongue a little too closely as she took a lick of the frozen treat.  
'Is this... is she flirting with me? Sharing ice cream...'  
Jill swapped her partially devoured vanilla for the untouched chocolate and began her assault on it. Adam looked down in his hand to see the vanilla she had left him and decided to go with it. He was enjoying himself. He took a lick of the vanilla and felt scandalized. He could taste just a hint of her minty lip balm. He immediately went in for a second taste.

"I'm not going to ask you why you're so augmented." Jill said in a low voice, barely heard by his enhanced auditory receptors. "Lots of people do it for lots of complicated reasons, and some don't want to have it done to them at all."  
Her tone had a weight to it he could understand. She must have experience with augmentation first hand as well, and he appreciated the notion that she wouldn't pry.  
"But I want to know how you are so good at House of the Dead!" She smiled, her heavy tone lightening as she switched their ice cream cones again without even asking. Adam barely minded. He tasted her lip balm on the chocolate as well.

"Well, I was a cop another life ago." He started hesitantly. He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to talk about this part of his life either.

Jill's face changed mid lick into an O of shock.  
"So I've been gaming with a narc! Eegads!" She giggled.  
Adam snorted a short laugh, glad for her levity.

The chatted like that for a while, about nothing in particular. About particulars that weren't particularly important. Adam Jensen was just a guy who once upon a time used to enjoy his PlayStation 7 and Jill Lennings was just a college girl who liked to roller dance on the weekends. Their chairs got closer and closer, the ice cream was all gone, and as Adam finally realized time had gotten away from him. He wasn't just Adam, the guy. He was also a professional, with a mission to accomplish. The weight that had been lifted from his shoulders was now falling back into place, and his smile, a rare thing now a days, which had been plastered to his face nearly all night slid away. Jill noticed in an instant.

"You have to leave?" She asked, her voice small and sad. He really didn't want to leave.

"Yeah." He stood, sliding his trench back on. He never once felt self conscious about his augments in front of this girl. Not anymore.

"We won't see each other after this, will we?" Jill's eyes were big and held a speck of hope that he might contradict her.

"No, most likely not." Adam was becoming his stoic self right before her eyes. Jill rose and quickly wrapped her arms around Adam, her lips pressing gently onto his, but only briefly. In a second she was out of the embrace, before Adam had enough time to even decide if he should welcome it.  
"Bye, AJ." Jill waved, turning and leaving the cafeteria as quickly as she could.  
Adams heart clenched in his chest. He wanted to follow her, but he had no good reason to. He wanted to know her more, he wanted someone to acknowledge he was still human again like she did. He longed for touch like hers, nonviolent and sweet and honest. Adam pulled out a cigarette and lit it, making the long walk back to his apartment in smokey silence.


End file.
